Seaside Heights - Work moves slowly but at a steady pace on planning and repairing Casino Pier after Superstorm Sandy destroyed much of the pier. 01/31/13 / PETER ACKERMAN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

TRENTON — A state no-bid contract worth $100 million for superstorm Sandy cleanups has come under fire from Democrats in the state Legislature.

The contract allows a Florida company to manage town debris removal. Senate President Stephen Sweeney said he’s concerned costs are greater than what they should be.

The state awarded a contract to AshBritt Inc. four days after Republican Gov. Chris Christie signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency because of the storm.

The company charges up to $130 per cubic yard to remove and dump waste. Christie administration officials say towns have the option to hire the company but are free to make their own arrangements.

Over 40 towns signed on with AshBritt. They include: Barnegat, Beach Haven, Belmar, Berkeley, Brick, Jackson, Lavallette, Long Beach Township, Manasquan, Manchester, Mantoloking, Sea Bright, Seaside Heights, Ship Bottom, Stafford, Toms River and Waretown. Watch the videos above by clicking on the four images to see damage in these towns after Sandy. Using our mobile app? Watch a video here.

Sweeney has referred the contract to the Legislative Oversight Committee, which has subpoena power.

A spokesman for AshBritt said the contract has already been thoroughly scrutinized.

“We are an open book,” Jared Moskowitz, general counsel for the company, said Monday.

Moskowitz said the company through its subcontractors has cleaned up 2.9 million cubic yards of debris.

“The cleanup is 95 percent complete. All of the rules and regulations for the contract have been followed with background checks, finger-printing, and 900 pages of documents. Our goal was to have a 20 percent New Jersey workforce, and we have a 70 percent New Jersey workforce,” he said.

The AshBritt contract is one of 55 cooperative storm recovery contracts the state has extended to towns and municipalities.

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Other vendors have supplied generators, shelter needs, food, fuel and gasoline, tree services, professional services, and equipment rentals. Nine of the contracts were procured or amended after superstorm Sandy.

Those who marketed AshBritt’s services to local officials included Ocean County Republican Organization Chairman George Gilmore and Maggie Moran, former deputy chief of staff to Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine, Moskowitz said.

Moran said she worked for Conti Group of Edison, a construction firm, to help manage the project for AshBritt. Moran’s husband, Matthew Doherty, is mayor of Belmar. Moran said she wan’t involved in any Belmar work on behalf of Conti.

Gilmore could not be reached for comment.

Sweeney said the Legislative Oversight Committee will meet later this month with invitations for AshBritt officials to attend.

“We want everyone to show up. The committee has subpoena power, but we don’t want to subpoena anybody. We really don’t. We would hope everyone would come that’s asked to come, so we could have a good hearing and a better understanding, making sure we’re doing this right and that the money is being spent right,” he said.

Additionally, Assembly Budget Committee Chairman Vincent Prieto said his panel will take action on two oversight measures Thursday.

Sweeney said the concerns could have been avoided if the Christie administration “had been proactive.”

“We had a hurricane. Most states are prepared for storms. We weren’t,” Sweeney said. “You do these contracts in preparation. One of the questions is, how come New Jersey hasn’t been prepared? How come they don’t have these pre-negotiated contracts for storm issues or emergencies?”

Prieto said recovery funds are “supposed to be spent properly to benefit New Jersey residents and communities devastated by Sandy, not become a feeding frenzy for lobbyists and an excuse to bypass regulations on business, the environment and pay-to-play.”

AshBritt has been involved in debris recovery efforts in more than 10 states beginning with Hurricane Andrew in 1992.